Mind games

Mind Games 1

Chapter one2

Agnes Hay was in her eighty forth year she had been mentally aware and physically mobile until two years ago, when she tripped over her Tom cat and broke one of her hips. 3

Agnes was now dependant on her Zimmer frame, a three legged metal frame that supported her weight, and stopped her from losing her balance. 4

Agnes was one of the luckier ones who had up until the past few years always felt young for her age, and who had been blessed with good health for most of her considerable lifespan. 5

She seldom thought of herself as being a great grandmother, and whenever the children came to visit weather permitting, she would go into the back garden and play with them, even if it was only to caw one end of a skipping rope. 6

Like most grandmothers, or in her case great grandmothers she absolutely doted on her grand children, and was happy to put up with any little7

tantrums. She counted herself most fortunate indeed to have lived long enough to see her great-grand children, and just loved to spoil them. 8

She always denied the charge, and besides, spoiling them was one of the few pleasures that she had left to her at her time of life. 9

During the winter months when the garden could not be used, Agnes would happily sit with the children in front of the television, and watch videos that she had bought for them. One of their favourites and hers, was Snow White and the seven dwarfs, which she never tired of watching. Her thinning hair was now as white as could be, which during one viewing of the video, prompted the youngest grandchild to ask, "are you Snow White's Gran"?10

"No bless you Agnes laughed, whatever made you ask such a question"? 11

"It’s the colour of your hair mum her daughter Anne said laughingly, it's whiter than white".12

"Just because there's snow on the roof Agnes said with 13

a glint in her eye , doesn't mean to say the fire in the grate has gone out.14

” Mum Anne said a little embarrassed".15

Chapter two16

Most of the time Agnes’s faculties operated well for someone of her age, and her mind was lucid most of the time. Just every now and again it would take her into the realms of fantasy, into what she would refer to as the shadow lands, where imaginary things would peek at her from some of the darker coroner of her living room. 17

In order to save money during the long winter nights Agnes would sit with the lights out, the only light in the room coming from the television set and the gas fire, which burned at a peep. It was then that her failing mind occasionally took over from the realities of every day life.18

Mrs Wilson, her next door neighbour who was twenty years younger than Agnes would call on her once or twice a day to make sure that she was alright, and would attend to any needs that arose, like making her a cup of tea and a bite to eat.19

She would also pick up a few messages from the grocers when she did her own shopping.20

It was just after eleven a m one Monday morning when Jean Wilson came to Agnes's front door, shoving the letter box open from the outside as she usually did she retrieved the front door key which was attached to a piece of string hanging from a nail behind the door. 21

Letting herself in she called out her usual warning, "cooeee Agnes, it's only me. “How are we today dear she greeted her cheerily?22

Going through to the kitchen she put the messages she had brought into a cupboard before joining Agnes in the living room. 23

Are we alright to-day she asked?24

Agnes turned her head and looked at her without answering, moments later she said sarcastically, we? 25

“I don’t know about you she said, but I'm fine thank you very much".26

Jean Wilson ignored the obvious hostility, never mind she said smiling, I'll make you a wee cup of tea". 27

"Would you like something with it”?28

“Perhaps a cake, or a wee biscuit perhaps”.29

Agnes nodded absent mindedly; "fine" she replied curtly, whatever”. 30

Returning to the living room ten minutes later, Jean Wilson placed a tray on the small table next to Agnes. 31

"There you are my dear she cooed, some of your favourite chocolate biscuits and a nice cup of tea, just let it cool before you drink it, we don't want you burning your tongue," she said patting Agnes's hand.32

After twenty minutes or so of trying to engage Agnes in33

conversation Mrs Wilson made her excuses and left, 34

clearly old Agnes was not in the mood for small talk 35

today. She had seemed somewhat detached.36

” I’ll call in again to-morrow Agnes" she said as she made her way out. 37

Agnes nodded but remained silent.38

Chapter three. 39

It was now October and the nights were drawing in quickly, it was now dark at around four in the afternoon. In her cosy living room the flames from the gas fire cast shadows around the room. Agnes sat in her usual seat by the fireside, a big stuffed armchair. 40

The chair was all that remained of the three piece suite that she and her late husband John had bought some twenty years before. 41

Agnes had come to hate this time of the day as this was when the shadow people as she called them, visited her. 42

They had no real shape or form but Agnes knew they were there, she could see them peeping at her from the shadows. She would hear them whisper, and would catch the unnerving sound of their quiet laughter.43

Of late she had grown more afraid, out of the shadows there had emerged a squat ugly beast which had taken solid form. It sat at the opposite end of the living room facing her, it was dirty brown in colour with a single glaring eye, in the middle of its face. Its squat body was supported by four thick legs.44

As yet it had made no attempt to cross the room towards her, for now it was seemingly content just to sit there staring at her, but what if….?45

She would sit facing it night after night summoning up every bit of will power she possessed, willing it to stay where it was. This had been her home, hers and her husband John's, for over thirty years. No monster’s from the shadow lands was going to drive her from it, not if she could help it.46

Chapter four47

She sipped at the tea in her cup that had lain almost untouched since Mrs Wilson had left almost three hours ago, she hated cold tea but her mouth was dry and she could not be bothered going through to the kitchen and making a fresh pot. 48

Turning the regulator on gas fire up she moved a little closer, she could not seem to get any heat into her thin body to-day.49

Almost an hour later she came to with a start; the room was in darkness apart from the light from the gas fire. She looked around her, her eyes coming to rest on the thing at the far end of the room facing her, it had been strangely quiet today perhaps it was asleep, she certainly hoped so. Sometimes when it spoke it did so in an unending babble of words, most of which were unintelligible to her.50

She looked fearfully around the dimly lit room, shadows danced across the ceiling as the gas fire flickered, and she could feel the panic starting to rise. This was how it always started, perhaps if there was a definite shape to the things that came night after night, it wouldn't be so bad. 51

Although she could not always see the shadow people she knew with certainty they were there, hiding in the darkest part of the room. 52

She was desperate to get up off her chair to visit the toilet, her bladder felt as though it was about to burst, but she dare not turn her back on the squat ugly thing facing her. 53

She sat doubled up in the chair with her thin legs tightly crossed, her hands were pressed between them, trying in vain to hold back the flood of urine.54

Perhaps the reason it is so quiet she thought, is that it is waiting for me to fall asleep. 55

She shifted uncomfortably in the chair; the urine soaked clothing sticking to her, the smell from it irritating her nostrils. She sat without moving, staring across the room with heavy eyes from continually staring in the direction of the thing facing her.56

She dare not close them in case...... 57

She massaged her tired eyes, digging the knuckles of her thumbs deep into the sockets trying to rub the tiredness from them.58

She was not aware of falling asleep; she woke suddenly with a start, her head jerking and rolling. Sitting bolt upright in her chair with her eyes wide open, she stared across the room. 59

Praise the lord she said to herself the thing had not moved.60

Chapter five. 61

It was light when she next opened her eyes, the early morning sunlight filtering through the Venetian blinds.62

A few moments later she heard a key being inserted in the front door, “who’s there she called in a tired voice”. 63

The familiar voice of her eldest daughter Mary called out, "it’s only me mum". 64

Mary was the elder of her two daughters; she called in two or three times a week with shopping for her, and stayed for an hour or so before going to her job in the local bingo hall. 65

Mostly it was bread and milk she brought, and a wee sweetie for her mother at bedtime. On the days that she could not visit her Mum, Mrs Wilson from next door popped in to make sure that Agnes had everything she needed.66

Popping her head around the door she said cheerily, "hi mum, I'll just put the messages in the cupboard and then I'll make us a nice cup of tea".67

Agnes leant back in her chair and relaxed, she listened to her daughter moving around the kitchen, and could hear the tinkle cups being placed on saucers.68

"Would you like a sandwich with your tea mum”? Mary called from the kitchen. 69

"Thank you she called back, that would be nice".70

Before going back through to the living room Mary placed a casserole dish in the oven that she had brought with her from home. Although her mother got her meals from the meals on wheels people, she always tried to make her something extra as a treat. 71

She knew from past experience that it was not everything her mother would eat. 72

As she waited for Mary to bring her tea through she turned her attention to thing sitting facing her on the other side of the room, during the night it had remained silent, and had made no attempt to cross to where she was sitting. She relaxed and allowed herself a tired smile; she knew that as long as Mary was with her she would be safe.73

Mary came through from the kitchen a few minutes later carrying a tea tray, on it were two cups of tea a plate of sandwiches, also a couple of her Agnes’s favourite chocolate biscuits.74

Placing the tray in front of her mother she then removed the cup of cold tea that had lain from the day evening before. The strong smell of stale urine reached her nostrils, "oh mum she said in the kind of voice one would use to a child, did you have a wee accident earlier". 75

"No I didn’t have a wee accident Agnes retorted, my chair sprung a leak". 76

"Come on Mary said quietly, taking hold of her hands she gently eased her up and out of her chair. 77

Taking her through to the bathroom she washed and changed her mother. 78

On returning to the living room Mary sat Agnes on a stool, and then taking an ancient hair drier from the cupboard in the hall she dried the chair as best she could, after sponging it down with disinfectant. 79

A short time later she came through from the kitchen with fresh tea, "just give it a wee blow before you drink it mum" she said. 80

She sat quietly and watched as Old Agnes drank from the delicate china cup, she could not help laughing to herself at the raised pinkie. 81

In the past whenever she made a joke of it Agnes would say, in my young days all young ladies drank their tea like this.82

Getting up, Mary crossed to the far side of the room and switched the T.V set on 83

"Let’s see what’s the on television mum” she said.84